Characterizing the Impacts of 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Using New York State Mesonet Data

On 8 April 2024, a rare total solar eclipse (TSE) passed over western New York State (NYS), the first since 1925 and the last one until 2079. The NYS Mesonet (NYSM) consisting of 126 weather stations with 55 on the totality path provides unprecedented surface, profile, and flux data and camera images during the TSE. Here we use NYSM observations to characterize the TSE's impacts at the surface, in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), and on surface fluxes and CO₂ concentrations. The TSE-induced peak surface cooling occurs 17 min after the totality and is 2.8°C on average with a maximum of 6.8°C. It results in night-like surface inversion, calm winds, and reduced vertical motion and mixing, leading to the shallowing of the PBL and its moistening. Surface sensible, latent and ground heat fluxes all decrease whereas near-surface CO₂ concentration rises as photosynthesis slows down.